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Over the past couple of months I’ve been going through the process of applying for a Green Card for Hayden, and I can’t believe how transparent, efficient and straightforward the whole endeavour has been. OH WAIT. NO IT’S NOT! First was an application (entitled “Form DS 462-NA QPR” or some similar nonsense) that was sent to Chicago, on which I had to type our names and birthdays about 10 times. This was followed by the delightful “Affidavit 1040BZQ X215” that was mailed to a different address in New Hampshire, which included my tax return, proof of income and a sworn statement that Hayden won’t abuse food stamps or other government assistance. Today I’m filing what will hopefully be the last form, including passport photos and Hayden’s police background check. This will probably be pushed around a few desks before it gets processed.

I sometimes get frustrated and can’t help but think about how things would have been much easier if I had just taken an internship with Seattle Opera or Grand Teton Music Festival four years ago. In the midst of this whole mess, I came across an article that reminded me of why I think it’s worth it. It’s written by an Australian who has lived in America for several years – she explains the feeling better than I ever could: Link to article

Autumn

Fall is here (or Autumn, as they prefer to say in Australia), and I've been trying to find a few things to do with myself on the weekends since it's too cold to swim at the beach anymore. I took the train down to Kiama a few days ago to take a walk along the coastline, and spotted a sure sign that Autumn has officially arrived: an empty rock pool on a Saturday.

Rock pools are fairly common at the beaches around here. At high tide, the waves spill over the cement walls and refresh the pool water, and when the tide goes out (as in this photo) there is a really nice saltwater pool left with a view of the ocean. This time of year they look a bit lonely.